


Do androids dream of electric girlfriends?

by Quinis



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Mad Science, Sparks, Took the title from the prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-30
Updated: 2014-09-30
Packaged: 2018-02-19 09:03:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2382641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinis/pseuds/Quinis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally is secretly a Spark. It's suppressed... until it's not. Ray guns, robots and mad science crammed into 3,000 words. A fill for the The Young Justice: Animated Anonymous Fic Meme.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Do androids dream of electric girlfriends?

**Author's Note:**

> The Prompt:  
>  _Wally is secretly a Spark. Unfortunately, he has a sub-dermal chip that suppresses his more Spark-y tendencies._  
>  _...And than he loses the chip. I'm thinking either Robin finds it, and points it out, or it gets fried when the team gets heat by an EMP or something, just it stops working, and his Spark-tendencies are out in the open._  
>  _Well, or not, at the team doesn't realize anything is different- at first._  
>  _Then they wake up to find that Wally's built Red Tornado a robot girlfriend with a fully functional AI._  
>  _Overnight._  
>  _In his boxers._  
>  _While asleep._
> 
> Notes: Another fill for the The Young Justice: Animated Anonymous Fic Meme. I'm a fan of Girl Genius too (which I used to help with some of the dialogue). Questions? Comments? Put them in the reviews! :)

 

**Do androids dream of electric girlfriends?**

* * *

Voices from memory floated around him.

"He can't be…"

"He's only eleven!"

"He recreated the experiment-"

"-there's no doubt he is!"

"We're lucky he's still alive-"

"-others not so lucky."

"He could have killed himself!"

* * *

Wally groaned as he rose back to consciousness. The memories from back when he was recovering from his experiment to give himself superspeed like the Flash faded.

They were replaced by tender pain from his back and neck.

"Ow."

"He's awake!" He knew that voice. Artemis.

"You sound worried," he commented with a smirk.

"Probably because I am." His eyes opened wide at that comment. If Artemis was worried then they were still in trouble.

He was tied to a table in what looked like a run-down mad scientist's lab.

"Looks like one of your madpeople was behind the trouble," Aqualad informed him.

"Aqualad!" M'gann said in a scolding tone, glancing over at Robin.

"Hey, I'm only a little madperson," Robin shrugged.

Artemis rolled her eyes.

"It's called the 'Spark'," she reminded them. "And if we've really been caught by one, then we need to be careful."

"Pft," Kid Flash snorted, "Robin would have this guy beat."

"Robin is unusual for a... Spark," Aqualad said. Superboy nodded. He had been taught about Sparks while at Cadmus. The popular opinion was that most were crazy and dangerous, creating devices which only brought death, chaos and destruction if they were allowed to run free. Robin wasn't like that. He only made weapons which were non-lethal and only under Batman's watchful gaze.

Also, Robin kept most of his Spark tendencies focused on computers and hacking, getting around other people's work instead of creating his own.

"That's for sure," Robin responded. He giggled and there was a click, his restraints coming loose.

And then a beam came out of nowhere and hit him, knocking him across the room and unconscious.

"Robin!" the team cried out in worry. Superboy pulled at his restraints, snapping them off and then moved to free Aqualad before rounding on the man who entered the room.

Dressed in a white button up labcoat, wearing large blue goggles with grey and spiked up hair and holding a mechanical looking blaster, the man looked every bit a mad scientist.

Kid Flash gave Aqualad a quick 'thanks' as his teammate let him down before dashing over to check if Robin was okay.

" _That **rat**_ ," he hissed under his breath as something inside of him stirred to life. " _We'll **hand**  him over to Batman and_  _Batman'll **lock him in a cage**  and let him  **freeze**  in the cave and the  **guano**  and as  **he'll**_ -" suddenly a jolt of pain shot through his head, violently cutting off his trail of thought, "OW!" He whimpered.

"Kid Flash?" Robin questioned, waking up. Kid Flash sniffled in pain. "You okay?"

"Headache," he coughed. Robin sat up and rubbed his back as their teammates took down the rouge Spark. Robin knew that Kid Flash sometimes complained of headaches and times when he couldn't think properly. This was the worst one he had seen though.

"Ugh, I think you cut part of the base of your neck open," he said, realising where the red stain on Kid's uniform came from.

Kid Flash reached back and touched it. It was tender but already healed.

"Ouch," he commented. But, he was probably okay or he wouldn't be walking around. "Let's just go back."

"Agreed," Artemis said, breaking up their little bro moment.

* * *

Wally was dreaming again.

"Uncle Barry?" he questioned. His uncle was looking at him strangely. It unnerved him a little bit since his uncle was now the only person who could really keep up with him. His experiment had worked and he was just about to become the Flash's partner.

"Look, if you do this one thing for me, then we'll set you up with a name and a costume."

"But, I don't get it. What are you hoping to achieve here? Is this some kind of test of my mettle?"

"It's... something like that." Wally gave him a sceptical look. "It's science stuff."

"Oh, so I'll understand when I have a sufficiently advanced background education?"

"Um, yes?"

"Okay."

"Okay?"

Wally nodded and rolled over onto his stomach.

"Do what you need to do."

He felt his uncle hesitate for a moment before there was the feeling of a bang near the base of his neck.

"Ouch," he commented. It was a little too early because the pain and dizziness only hit him a moment later.

He groaned and let his head drop onto his arms. He squeezed his eyes shut, blocking out the light. His head hurt.

* * *

Wally blinked the sleep out of his eyes, instantly realising that something was off. They had decided to stay at the mountain for the weekend after turning the Spark over late Friday night. But, he wasn't in his bed.

He was at his desk. Surrounding him were bits of mechanics.

"Huh," he hummed curiously, moving his hands around as he sat up. They bumped against something round.

It looked like a water gun. A bright, bubble-decorated gun.

"Okay? What are you?" he questioned, looking around. Was this another of Robin's jokes? He poked it cautiously with his finger.

I didn't explode, which he figured was a good thing. He picked it up and pointed it at the wall next to his door.

"Bang, bang," he laughed, pressing the trigger. It was too colourful to be dangerous, right?

Wrong.

A blast of red light hit the wall, causing it to melt as if it had been struck by Superman's heat vision. Wally stood shell-shocked while Robin, who had been standing at his door, ready to knock, popped his head in.

"What was that?" he questioned, taking in Wally and the weapon.

Wally shrugged. He was embarrassed being caught destroying the base, as accidental as it might have been. The only think he could think of to say was;

"Souvenir?"

It worked as Robin's annoyed and suspicious look melted into one of amusement. He giggled.

"You should know better than to take things from a Spark!" he laughed, walking over to take the gun from him.

Wally laughed with him, while internally breathing a sigh of relief. Robin seemed to believe that he had taken the gun from the Spark they fought. He guessed it was as good an explanation as any, it wasn't like he knew where the gun came from.

"It's a heat-ray!" he pointed out. "Haven't you always wanted one?" He knew Roy did. Then again, Roy marvelled at most villains' weapons. He had moments where he didn't really get it; why did he have to fight people with ray guns and weapons of mass destruction using only arrows? He figured he could have one ray gun at least.

"Not really," Robin commented with a smirk. "And Batman will probably want a look at anyway."

"Dude! Rob! I know you're just making excuses to keep it," he joked, "it's okay, you can have it."

Robin gave in a playful glare in return. He left with the heat-ray anyway and the incident was mostly forgotten about.

* * *

Wally didn't like being alone. He liked hanging out with his friends and his family, his aunt and uncle especially.

He didn't like how Superboy was being ignored by Superman but, Superboy had M'gann. M'gann put a lot of effort into looking after the team, especially Superboy.

Wally appreciated that about her.

Batman had Robin. Black Canary and Green Arrow were an item.

Wally wondered if Red Tornado was lonely. Could androids got lonely? Red Tornado certainly displayed the characteristics of being curious around them. If he could be curious, then couldn't he also be lonely?

"Wally!"

"Huh?" Something slipped from his hand and clanged on the ground. Wally blinked awake, suddenly aware of Robin's hand on his arm. "Morning already?" The last thing he remembered was going to bed after the movie. Artemis went before him and Robin followed him, wishing him goodnight before they each went into their designated rooms.

"Seriously?" Artemis was standing behind Robin, with Aqualad, Superboy and M'gann standing with her. She looked angry but, really, when didn't she around him?

M'gann looked overjoyed.

"Wow, Wally! That's really cool!"

"Huh?" Wally moved to look at what he had been facing before Robin's interruption.

It was an android. A female android. A red female android with metallic coils of what was supposed to resemble blond hair around a circular face.

He was grateful to see that the android was wearing a short strapped white sundress. He didn't want to think about how detailed the build under the dress might be.

"What is it meant to be?" Superboy asked, tilting his head curiously.

"Uh..." Wally felt the inside of his mouth go dry. He had absolutely no idea.

"So, you're a Spark," Artemis stated.

What? "I - no!" He felt his stomach drop and tears come to his eyes. He would have to explain wouldn't he? "I can't be a Spark! Look, I've made things before, hasn't everyone? But none of them worked! I was lucky if they didn't blow up!"

Robin hummed.

"Let's find out then," he said, pushing the button poking through the dress on the android's thigh.

There was a moment of hushed silence, where everyone was waiting to see what would happen with bated breath.

Blue eyes opened as the android started up. It looked around and then moved a hand to fiddle with a golden coil.

"Um... hello?" it; no, she said. The voice was robotic but distinctly female.

"Do you have a name?" Robin asked, looking awed with some hint of curiousness in his gaze, "or do we have to create one?"

"A name?" she thought for a moment. "Flannery."

"Red valour," Robin mused.

Of course Batman's training would cover name meanings, Wally thought in amusement.

"Most appropriate," Aqualad commented, walking up. "Although we do need to report your presence to the League."

Wally was glad that his superspeed gave him enough time to come to terms with the situation. He had created an android, a female android and now his friends all thought he was a Spark.

Was that possible? Shouldn't he have known if he was a Spark? He decided probably not. There were enough stories about Sparks awakening in violent and destructive ways that he figured if people could tell in advance that they were a Spark, there would be protocols in place.

"I do agree," Flannery said politely, "my databases suggest that we called the one known as 'Batman'. While he can be... intimidating, he is not only the leader of the Justice League but also a good source of advice. I do have one request though; my database suggests that there is another like me here, Red Tornado? I would like to meet him."

"Batman, a good source of advice? Where did this database of yours come from?" Artemis snorted.

"Probably one of Robin's computers," Wally agreed with her disbelieving tone.

"Pushy robot," Superboy commented quietly.

"I will go inform the League," Aqualad said. "Robin, would you mind getting Wally some clothes?"

Wally felt his face heat up as he suddenly realised he was standing there - in his FLASH BOXERS.

Thank goodness for superspeed!

"I think Kid Flasher can get his own clothes," Robin commented with a smirk. Artemis laughed.

"'Kid Flasher'!"

"Shut up!" Wally shouted, thoroughly embarrassed. He glared at Robin. "You suck."

* * *

Wally sat in his chair with his eyes on his knees, trying to make himself as small as possible.

Anything to get the Batman's grumpy glare off him. It seemed to work as he turned to his uncle. The Flash shifted nervously and rubbed the back of his neck as he contemplated running.

"The video surveillance confirms it," Batman said, "Wally created the robot-"

"In his sleep!" Robin piped up, in a helpful manner.

"Flash, why didn't you tell us Kid Flash was a Spark?"

Wally was too wrapped up in watching his uncle's reactions to point out how the Batman didn't even know.

"What are you saying?" Flash asked. His speech was a little off, with a nervous undertone. "How would I know? Kid didn't even know until this morning."

Batman's face darkened and Wally could swear he heard a low growl. Even Robin wasn't smiling.

"I checked Kid Flash's medical records," Batman explained, bringing up two scans of Wally's head and neck. "This is from before their last mission." He pointed towards the one with a dark patch under the skin by the neck. "This is after." The dark patch was gone.

Wally felt recognition dawn on him. It was accompanied by a cold feeling in his gut and a burning, stinging sensation around his eyes.

"You knew I was a Spark?" he asked his uncle, turning to him. The dark patch must have been some kind of device to keep him... stupid! That his uncle looked away only confirmed it. "But, but, how could you?"

"You were eleven when you broke through," Flash explained, pulling off the cowl so Wally could see his uncle's face. "And it almost killed you. Young Sparks need powerful protection and I, I just wasn't enough. Iris and I, we knew your parents couldn't protect you. They knew it as well. We put our heads together and created an experimental chip, something which would suppress your Spark and keep you safe."

"But," Wally sniffed and rubbed his eyes. He was not going to cry! "You know how hard I had to work to keep my grades up." And he never could get them higher than a certain point. There was always a small mistake, sometimes as simple as forgetting to carry a one, which dropped his mark.

If it wasn't for his superspeed, his grades would probably have dropped to just passing or even below a passing level. It took him twice as long as everyone else to do something.

"Kid," his uncle placed his hands on his shoulders. The contact was slightly calming. "You know the statistics. Young Sparks have a high death rate, if they don't go mad first. Blown up or locked up, we couldn't let that be your future."

"But, Robin-"

"Broke through when he was twelve," Batman pointed out, "and he crashed the Batmobile while trying to make it fly. If it wasn't for the automatic ejector seats I installed, he wouldn't be with us."

"Batman has a lot of safeguards at home," Robin added, "things which keep us from accidentally blowing ourselves up. And Alfred."

Batman nodded in agreement. Wally smiled at the thought of the servant, the one who ran the Bat household.

Okay, they had a point. Wally sighed.

"So, what happens now?"

"Well, I'm quite interested in how your experiments goes; on whether robots can find love and emulate human emotions?" Batman mused.

"Does this mean we get to keep Flannery?" Robin asked happily.

"Wait! Flannery's for Red Tornado!" Wally pointed out.

"Batman!" Flash scolded. He couldn't believe what the other man was suggesting.

"He's already broken through," Batman pointed out, "if you try and suppress it now, you could do more damage than good and end up with a vegetable for a nephew." Wally shivered at the implication. "I see no harm in leaving things as they are. We will set Kid Flash up with a lab which will have all the security measures Robin's has."

"My own lab?" Wally perked up at that. He had always wanted his own lab! He had so many ideas! Best day ever!

The Flash sighed. There was no stopping this, he could see.

"Fine."

"Can I help with the plans?" Robin asked.

"Me too! Me too!" Kid Flash added. If this was what being a Spark was like, then he was okay with it.

* * *

Wally held out his hand and Artemis placed a wrench in it.

"Seriously, why do I have to help?" she grumbled. She knew the answer though. Aqualad found mechanics difficult to understand and was more likely to destroy anything he helped with; he claimed it was on purpose as he didn't trust Wally to not blow them up. Superboy also destroyed anything he helped with; he caused more accidents than Aqualad just because of his superstrength and superhearing. M'gann was too helpful and almost found herself experimented on; Wally was trying to figure out exactly how she shapeshifted in order to make a serum which would simulate her powers. Artemis had been the one to stop that experiment; even though Wally claimed he wasn't going to hurt her and he probably wasn't, it was a bad idea.

Robin said that he didn't count because he was not a  _lab assistant_. To anyone but the Batman, that is.

"Hee!" Wally cheered, "all done." He stepped back from the machine with a wide smile.

"What is it?" Artemis asked, slightly curious. There was a kind of energy in the air, one of wonder and excitement.

"All in good time, all in good time," Wally assured her. And then, in the height of his hubris, he ordered, "pull the lever, Artemis!"

"No."

"What?" he questioned, looking a little like a kicked puppy.

"Pull your own cursed levers, Kid Flasher," she responded, crossing her arms across her chest. "Or learn to ask nicely."

"You really know how to kill a mood, Arty," Wally countered.

"Don't call me that!"

"Then don't call me 'Kid Flasher', it's 'Kid Flash'!"

"I'll call you whatever I want, Flash Boxers!"

"Not  **cool** ,  _you little_   ** _worm_**!"

She slapped him, snapping him out of his spark-induced craze. This; this was probably why she was the 'lab assistant'.

"Uh, opps?" Wally said, knowing that he went too far. He didn't apologise though. "Let's just pull the lever and see it this baby works."

He reached over the pulled the lever. The large, pieced-together machine whirled to life with a whizz and a hiss.

Flames spewed out of openings and the machine looked dangerous and ready to blow.

Then, it stopped and sounded a happy 'ding'.

"What?" Artemis questioned in a deadpan. She expected more of the burning and destruction which usually followed Sparks. Although, something smelled like burning.

"Aw," Wally pouted, pulling a try out from the mouth of the mechanic blob of a machine. "They're burnt."

Artemis blinked in disbelief but the vision in front of her didn't disappear.

"Are those, M'gann's cookies?"

"Yeah," Wally sighed. "I asked to use an uncooked batch to test my insta-oven. It's supposed to cook them instantly but, it burnt them."

Artemis bit back a comment about how M'gann's cookies usually come out.

"Alright, let's see if we can fix it," she sighed in defeat as Wally scarfed down the cookies in superspeed. As Wally smiled and loudly mused about adding some kind of ray, 'for defence of the cookies', she silently mused about how she was spending too much time around Sparks.


End file.
